PTSD may affect blood vessel health in veterans

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-03/aha-pma031816.php

Public Release: 23-Mar-2016
PTSD may affect blood vessel health in veterans
American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report
American Heart Association

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may decrease the ability of blood vessels to dilate, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke in veterans, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

In the largest study to date on the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on blood vessel health, researchers found that blood vessels of veterans with PTSD were unable to expand normally in response to stimulus - they were less reactive -- compared to veterans without PTSD. Less reactive blood vessels are linked to heart disease and other serious conditions.

"Traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking, have not fully explained why people with PTSD seem to be at higher heart disease risk. Our study suggests that chronic stress may directly impact the health of the blood vessels,"

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